Concerns over oil spill in UK after tanker collides with cargo ship
One vessel was carrying fuel for US military aircraft and the other was carrying sodium cyanide.
BarcelonaAn oil tanker has collided with a cargo ship off the coast of East Yorkshire, UK, and both vessels have caught fire. Authorities have launched a rescue operation with the deployment of helicopters and several lifeboats. The collision has caused a leak of jet fuel, which was being carried by one of the ships and was destined for the US Department of Defense. The other was carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide. The environmental impact of this spill is not yet known, and the relevant authorities are assessing how to respond to it.
Thirty-two people, who were on board the vessels, have been taken to the shore, where medical services were waiting for them. However, their health status is not yet known. At the moment, there is one person in hospital, according to a statement made to the BBC by MP Graham Stuart, who says he has spoken to the Secretary of State for Transport. The MP himself has explained to X that there could be "dozens of injured".
The incident occurred near the Humber estuary on the east coast of northern England and coastal authorities were alerted at 09.48am local time.Monday. Several lifeboats and a Coast Guard helicopter were dispatched to the scene.
One of the vessels involved is theStena Immaculate, carrying jet fuel. The chemical tanker, operated by US company Crowley and owned by Stena, had left a Greek port in the Aegean Sea and was heading to Hull. According to the Marine Traffic website, which tracks details about transport ships, the ship is 183 metres long, weighs about 50,000 tonnes and flies the US flag.
The other vessel is a container ship called the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged vessel, which was heading for Rotterdam. It has a capacity of 9,500 tonnes and is 140.6 metres long. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution said that "a number of people had abandoned the boats following a collision".
"An extremely worrying situation"
Downing Street has described the incident as "extremely worrying" and has stated that they are still assessing its impact.
It is still too early to know the extent of the environmental damage caused by the incident, says the British section of Greenpeace. But the NGO warns of "great concern" about the "high speed of the collision" and "the images". "Sea conditions and weather will also be important in determining how a possible spill behaves," adds the spokesperson of the organisation.
The Wild Animal Rescue Committee is preparing in case it is necessary to rescue animals due to the oil spill.
The Secretary of Transport of the United Kingdom, Heidi Alexander, has expressed her concern through social networks and has stated that she is in contact with British officials and coastal authorities to see how the situation evolves.
The reasons for the accident are still unknown, as both vessels are equipped with radar and warning systems to prevent such accidents.